A LICENCE has been granted for a hovercraft to operate on the North Wales coast.

Councillors unanimously gave support to the project, which will see a 10-seater craft making trips all over the coast, using Penmaenmawr, Rhyl and Llandudno as bases.

Following successful tests on Penmaenmawr beach there are hopes it will be in service by next month.

The craft will carry 10 passengers and two crew. There will also be two marshals to carry out safety checks and assist passengers on embarkation.

Geraint Roberts, a director of Hovercraftrental, the company which hopes to provide the service, said: “What I don’t want to provide is a ferry service. What we are hoping to do is for people to enjoy the experience of being in a hovercraft around the North Wales coast.

“However, if there is a need to provide a regular service to Rhyl or the Isle of Man or the Menai Straits, or even to Liverpool, then we’ll have to take another look.”